The decisive victory of right-wing candidate George Simion in Sunday’s first round of Romania’s presidential election underscored how the country’s political landscape is changing.
Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu announced his resignation last night, declaring that his Social Democratic Party (PSD) would quit the government, following the elimination of his ruling three-party coalition’s candidate from the presidential race. Crin Antonescu finished third in the first round balloting with just 20% of the vote.
Last November, Ciolacu’s own bid for the presidency fell at the same hurdle when he failed to get beyond the first round. Romania’s Constitutional Court controversially annulled that election outcome within a matter of days.
That Ciolacu remains at the helm of the coalition despite his ignominious exit from last year’s curtailed presidential race has added to growing disenchantment about the incumbent coalition, with moves said to be afoot to replace Ciolacu as PSD party leader.
Romania’s interim President Ilie Bolojan, who succeeded Klaus Iohannis after the latter resigned in the wake of November’s failed presidential election, has appointed former Interior Minister Cătălin Predoiu of the national liberal party (PNL) as the new interim head of government. In that capacity, Predoiu, who also serves as interim leader of the PNL, is restricted to managing ongoing affairs and cannot issue emergency decrees or submit draft laws for voting. Moreover, the interim government can stay in office for no more than 45 days.
Adding to the confusion, Elena Lasconi of the reform-oriented opposition party “Union for the Salvation of Romania” (USR) also resigned as party leader yesterday.
The current situation means that Romanian affairs will remain mired in a limbo-like holding pattern of interim appointments pending the outcome of the runoff presidential election, which is scheduled for 18 May. In addition to the head of state and the head of government, the governing cabinet, along with the presidents of both parliamentary chambers are all serving in an acting capacity. A priority, therefore, for the new president following the outcome of the 18 May runoff election will be to appoint and task a new head of government with the formation of a new cabinet. That choice is likely to be either Greater Romanian nationalist Simion or Bucharest Mayor Nicușor Dan, the erstwhile founder of the USR.
Despite the likelihood that the nationalist candidate stands to win the presidency, Ciolacu and the PSD have been unable to bring themselves to support the liberal. Ultimately, Romania’s Social Democrats announced that the party would not endorse the runoff election. The National Liberals and the co-ruling party of the Hungarian minority, however, have endorsed Dan.
Recently, Simion stepped back from his long-held position that Romania should annex the Republic of Moldova. Interviewed by the Financial Times, he said: “We will not talk about annexing territories.” Instead, he declared, he is committed to bringing about unification through international agreements and referendums in both countries.
